Rain of relief turns rain of pain

FE REPORT

Heavy shower inundating many parts of Dhaka city on Wednesday caused immense sufferings to people from all walks of life, especially office-goers.

Waterlogging in some areas resulted in nagging traffic congestion, a paucity of public transport and extra charges for commuters.

However, the downpour also brought some respite for the people from the persistently higher temperatures.

Important intersections, roads and narrow lanes in the city's Mirpur, Kazipara, Farmgate, Paltan, Gulistan, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Fakirapool and Arambagh remained submerged even after the rain ceased.

Apel Mahmud, a Panthapath resident, said the road in front of his dwelling place went under knee-deep water during the rain.

"As soon as I left home for my office, the rain came down in buckets. Within moments, the road went under water," he added.

Mr Mahmud, however, said he had to pay double the fare at Tk 60 for a rickshaw to reach Karwanbazar metro station for the rainfall.

"How do the authorities concerned claim Dhaka to be a modern city where a medium spell of rain also causes waterlogging?" he pondered for a while.

Joynul Abedin, a Rampura dweller, said it took him more than one hour and a half to reach Motijheel by bus due to traffic jams at different intersections.

"Transport couldn't move at their usual speed due to waterlogging as drivers had to be cautious about potholes or open manholes along the streets."

According to data available with the Met office, Dhaka witnessed 69 millimetres (mm) of rainfall during the 24-hour period till 6:00 pm on Wednesday.

Sixty-one millimetres were recorded within several hours between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm, it showed.

Rainfall between 44mm and 88mm in a day is categorised as heavy shower.

Wednesday's precipitation caused a loss of earnings of many marginalised people, including day-labourers and rickshaw-pullers.

Rickshaw-puller Haris Mia said he was toiling to pull the rickshaw in different waterlogged lanes across Indira Road.

"One cannot imagine how difficult it is to pedal a rickshaw in stagnated water," he said, adding that there are also risks of accident.

Passengers blame that rickshaw-pullers ask for additional fare(s), but the thing is overall earnings come down on a rainy day, according to Mr Haris.

"Even there are risks of falling sick for working in the rain," he added.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast light to moderate rain or thunder shower, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, in most places over Dhaka today (Thursday) too.

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